Jessem drill bit guides and dowel problems, GOOD NEWS !!!!

[Bill Huber]

Jessem is going to offer the 9.7mm drill guides and they should be available towards the end of the month.

I don't know if they will do any swap outs with the 3/8" or what the 9.7mm will cost but the main thing is you will be able to get them.

[Paulh Tremblay]

Jessem is going to offer the 9.7mm drill guides and they should be available towards the end of the month.

I don't know if they will do any swap outs with the 3/8" or what the 9.7mm will cost but the main thing is you will be able to get them.

I assume that means that one can buy the 9.7 mm bushings and they will fit in the current jig?

I was waiting to post from my results from last night until I could confirm them, but let me post them now.

I microwaved about 20 Jessem dowels for 2 minutes. To my great surprise, that made a big difference, and the dowels fit in very easily. I drilled a test piece with pins 2 1/4'' apart, and the dry fit worked with minimal pressure, the way it should.

The glue fit took quit a bit of clamps, 4 for a 15'' piece of wood. I really had to apply pressure for the last 1/2 inch of fitting, and am a bit surprised the joint didn't bust. I may be using too much glue, because the glue leaks from the joint on to the board.

The bit that Dowelmax uses is actually now 9.6 mm, not 9.7 mm. (I confirmed this by calling Dowelmax and then actually looking at their bit.)

Jessem's dowel pins are what they call "expandable," meaning (according to Jessem), they are shrunk down small, and then expand when in contact with liquid, such as glue. That might explain why they swell easily with humidity, and then shrink down to a manageable size.

Anyway, an extra set of bushings will expand user options and is good. One at least has the option of using a 9.7 mm bit, or perhaps with a bit of a loose fit, the 9.6 mm bit. In fact, having different sets of bushings may really solve the problem of the difference in dowel sizes from different manufacturers and could make Jessem even a better jig.

Thanks for making this happen, Bill!

(Bill is being modest, but his calls to Jessem really made this happen.)

[Paulh Tremblay]

I just got a message from Jessem admitting my jig with the 3/8'' bushings won't work, and suggesting I return it. I will have to do that unless somehow 9.7 mm bushings become available for my tool. The Jessem rep actually says I need 9.6 mm bushings.

I'm not sure what to do now. I may have to get the Dowelmax, just after I got used to, and liked the Jessem.

Kudos for Jessem for standing behind their tools.

[Steve Wurster]

I'm confused. I bought my Jessem dowel jig a few years ago. It came with the 3/8" bushings and what I thought they labeled a 9.7mm drill bit (the paperwork is in the shop and not with me). I also bought the 1/4" bushings and bit at the same time.

So what exactly do I have, and what would I need to do if I wanted to replace the drill bit?

[Bill Huber]

I'm confused. I bought my Jessem dowel jig a few years ago. It came with the 3/8" bushings and what I thought they labeled a 9.7mm drill bit (the paperwork is in the shop and not with me). I also bought the 1/4" bushings and bit at the same time.

So what exactly do I have, and what would I need to do if I wanted to replace the drill bit?

Do you have any problems when doing dowels?

Look at the bit and see what it has on it, 9.7mm or 3/8".

in the past Jessem and DowelMax listed their jigs as 3/8" but they use and over sized bit and guides.
I would say you have a 9.7mm bit and guides, not sure of that but that is what mine is.

[Steve Wurster]

Turns out I have the 9.7mm bit. I can get a replacement for that anywhere I assume, but what you're saying now is that Jessem is selling that again?

I've had minimal problems with dowels. The cheap ones tend to stick, while the expansible ones with the curved grooves work much better.

[Paulh Tremblay]

I just got a message from Jessem admitting my jig with the 3/8'' bushings won't work, and suggesting I return it. I will have to do that unless somehow 9.7 mm bushings become available for my tool. The Jessem rep actually says I need 9.6 mm bushings.

I'm not sure what to do now. I may have to get the Dowelmax, just after I got used to, and liked the Jessem.

Kudos for Jessem for standing behind their tools.

Apologies. This information is 100% wrong. Jessem made no such claim. I confused an email from Dowelmax as having come from Jessem.

Jessem has *not* admitted their jig is flawed.

(Moderators, is there any way to delete my previous post?)